Listen Closely: How the true crime industrial complex has broken our brains

On the Depp v. Heard trial, the politics of crying, the unique misogyny actresses face, and the weaponized fears of white women

The true crime industrial complex has broken our brains, convincing millions that they are experts in criminal behavior. True crime as entertainment has convinced us that we know what a victim looks like and how much they should or shouldn’t cry. But watching an episode of Law & Order SVU does not make you an expert in criminology. At best, it makes you good at quoting Ice-T’s witty banter. Having Criminal Minds on your DVR and a Murderino podcast t-shirt in your closet does not make you an authority on domestic violence. Surviving domestic violence also does not make us experts on all forms of abuse. The public vitriol that Amber Heard has received over her profession is a unique form of misogyny that actresses face when they testify in court cases. It is especially curious that the same criticism isn’t lodged at Johnny Depp for being an actor.

I can’t escape the deeply misogynistic commentary. Even when I’m just trying to find a YouTube video with the chords for Stairway to Heaven, I’m inundated with hateful discourse over a case that I don’t want to know the details of. The…